Ep 23 – Exposition of Faith

Hi there, it’s tom Mahairas with, it’s all greek to me, I want to thank you for coming. And joining us again on the show, Vicki and I are going to be discussing the various aspects of the Exposition of faith, all the All Stars from Hebrews Chapter 11 all the way into chapter 12 where the greatest all star of all the superstar, jesus christ, the one in Bright Morning Star come on and join us. You know, God is not the author of confusion, he has pattern, he has planned. And in Hebrews chapter 11 we have such a beautiful introduction of what the real explanation of faith is. Uh in verse 12 and three, and then we have from verse all the way from verse four of chapter 11 down to chapter 12, in verse three, he is continuing to unpack and explain this incredible subject and he gives us in this portion that we’re gonna be looking at right now, the exposition of faith. And he gives us these incredible biographies and stories of people in the bible that Vicki and I are just gonna walk through on this portion as we talk about the various ones and get different ideas. But we’re gonna look at the way of faith, the walk of faith, the work of faith, the willingness of faith, the wisdom of faith, the warriors of faith and the witnesses of faith. They all begin with a w that, you know, doesn’t matter just to help me and remember these things. But you know, this is this is also very appropriate for the people that we’re talking about. Notice The 1st 1. The Way of Faith by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than CAin through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous God testifying about his gifts and through faith though he is dead, he’s still speaking and uh you know, we’ll take turns vic and I talking about each one and reading about each one, but this one they were given specifically on how to come to God, on how to approach God with a sacrifice, a lamb sacrifice. And uh you know cain he came his way, he brought the works of his hands. The bible said he you know probably from his garden but God did not regard that sacrifice, he regarded the way of faith is through the blood without the shedding of blood, There is no remission of sin, the way of faith. And then we have the walk of faith by any by faith. Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death and he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up, he was pleasing to God and without faith, it’s impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a reward er of those who diligently seek him. You know, I love this because right here Vicky he is the illustration, he is really the reason why we have that famous verse in verse six, That without faith, it is impossible to please God. He was the one that walked for like 300 years with God. And God said, you know what, come on up and he took him and he wasn’t here anymore. Maybe some people suggested that he is a picture of the rapture. Uh, but he certainly is a picture of the people that are pleasing God. Uh that that are walking by faith. I mean, that’s great, isn’t it? It’s wonderful because can you imagine when you love somebody and you’re taking care of them and you have a relationship with them, but they don’t trust you and that’s what faith is trusting God and God honors that. God honors people who put all their trust in him, no matter how they feel and they know the right thing to do and they say, you know what Lord, I’m gonna do it anyway, no matter how I feel when you believe in the word of God, you’re really believing in the character, the one who wrote the word. And although he used dozens of people to pen the scriptures, it’s one author who is doing it the inspiration of God. And uh and so you’re trusting in his faithfulness. That’s what it’s saying there. So then there’s the work of faith by faith. Noah being warned from that that the that the flood was coming. You know, he prepared an ark for the salvation of his household by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith, it’s amazing the things that we’re doing in this life reflect who were believing in what am I working for, Who am I working for? And uh you know, is it eternal? Is it gonna last for eternity? That’s what that’s what’s important. And then the next one is the willingness of faith uh surrendering my life by faith. Abraham when he was called obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going by faith. He lived as an alien in the land of promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob fellow heirs of the same problem. So God promised something. Abraham believed that he moved out for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God by faith. Even Sarah herself received ability to conceive and beyond her proper time of life since she considered him faithful who had promised therefore there was born even of one man and him as good as dead at that as many descendants as the stars of the heaven and number and innumerable as the sand, which is by the seashore. Now I know we’re going fast, but look at this exposition of the warriors of faith, the various testimonies. But in that last verse that you read, I thought God likes to take the impossible. So everybody knows it’s a miracle and that we just we just can’t believe that it’s human beings who have done over and over again. We see that they didn’t know where they were going, they didn’t see the promise, but they kept on going. And we have so many more of things that have assured us that God kept his promises. That’s why we have the scriptures. And then it says the willingness of faith continues surrendering by faith. Abraham when he was tested, offered up Isaac and he who had received the promise was offering up his only begotten son. Now he had another son, but this was the only begotten one from the seed of promise. And it’s amazing that that it gives us to us and it was he to whom it was said in Isaac, your descendants shall be called. He considered Loizeaux may that God is able to raise people even from the dead from which he also received him back as a type that is a type of christ by faith Isaac blessed Jacob. And he saw even regarding things to come by faith Jacob as he was dying blessed each of the sons of joseph and worshiped leaning on the top of the staff by faith joseph when he was dying made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones, I like this part that here Abraham believes that God is bastos faithful and because he believes in God and his character, he now believes that God is going to raise his son from the dead. Because God had already given him a promise that he was going to bless the world through Isaac. It’s amazing that God told him that he would raise him from the dead. And then of course the wisdom of faith with moses by faith moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king’s edict by faith moses. When he had grown up he refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Considering the reproach of christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, where he was looking to the reward by faith, he left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king. For he endured as seeing him who is unseen by faith, he kept the passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that he who destroyed the first born, would not touch them by faith. They passed through the Red Sea and though they were passing through dry land and the Egyptians when they attempted it were drowned. This is an incredible story of faith with moses in christ, the promises that God had made to Abraham and even before that to Adam and Eve that God would send the messiah the christ and here is now moses associating himself with the people of God making choices to reject what he had. As in the palace of Egypt and going with the people of God. We want to continue in this exposition of the wisdom of faith and now into the warriors of faith by faith. The walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days by faith rehab. The Harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies in peace and the warriors of faith continues with Joshua rehab, Gideon and Baruch and what more shall I say for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barrack Samson, jefa of David and Samuel and the prophets who by faith conquered kingdoms performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises. Shut the mouths of lions quenched the power of fire escape the edge of the sword from weakness were made strong became mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight. But you know the warriors of faith are not only gonna be victorious but when we are uh suffering and persecuted and put in jail and even go through death. Then that also gives us confidence because we believe way beyond this life in the very presence of God after death. Women it says received back their dead by resurrection and others were tortured, not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others experienced mocking and scourging. Yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two, they were tempted, they would put the death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and goatskin is being destitute, afflicted, ill treated men of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Listen, faith not only gives you victory in battle, but sometimes God even tells you before hand that you’re gonna be persecuted and those who are gonna live Godly and big ali will suffer persecution with the cause of christ. Look what happened to jesus, look at what happened with the apostles. We are gonna go through even death and persecution for the name of jesus christ. It’s our faith that causes us to go through that it’s also our faith that causes us to go through and have victory, one victory the other death for his glory and his name. Next. We’re gonna look at the actual witnesses Of this incredible faith in the person of Jesus Christ mostly in chapter 12 Hi there, it’s so exciting for me to be able to come to you and share with you this incredible all star team of believers. When you look at this incredible exposition of the all stars of faith. You have the way of faith in verse four, the walk of Faith in verse five and six, The work of faith in verse seven, the willingness of faith in verse eight through 20 to the wisdom of faith in 23 through 29 the warriors of faith in 30 through 38 the witnesses of faith in 12 1 through chapter 12, 1 through two and three. Now we want to get right in with the way of faith and I want to share with you that this is so important because this is a principle in the bible of the first mention and this one is by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than cain two brothers, one brought a lamb, the other brought the works of his own hand. Good works Are good, but they cannot forgive you and me of our sins. It’s not money that God will accept, it’s not fruit that God will accept. It’s not a building, it’s not $1 million dollars or a billion dollars or a trillion dollars. God has a certain way, a specific way. One and Lonely is a very narrow way uh you know, broad is the way that leads to destruction and a lot of people are going that way, but narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be defined that jesus said and the way of faith is real simple by faith, Abel offered to God, a better sacrifice than CAin through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous God testifying about his gifts and through faith though he is dead, he still speaks now. We know that God says there’s none righteous. So how did he get the testimony that he was righteous? Because it’s the righteous shall live by what? By faith? So God had told him that he needed to bring a lamb, He brought a lamb and he sacrificed that lamb. And guess what? God accepted his sacrifice and then credited into his account righteousness as a result of able putting faith in what God said. Now Kane didn’t Kane thought, hey, listen, I’m strong, I’m I could bring God the fruit of my works by my own hands and he did. But the bible says that God did not regard, had no regard for his sacrifice and he got so angry, he got so bitter that he rose up and he killed his brother and that was the first murder that was ever committed. And it’s horrible that this happens because of jealousy because of rejection, that he felt rejected. Although God didn’t reject him, he just counted himself out. And the bible says that there’s only one way it cannot be by our works. Now, I’m going to show you this in the new testament in the new testament when you read in the Book of Ephesians and chapter two and you realize it says for by Grace, we have been saved through faith and it’s not of ourselves. It is a gift of God and not as a result of works lest we boast about it. This is the word of the Lord. Now in chapter one and verse 13, when God is explaining this, uh in Ephesians chapter one, in verse 13, he says in him, you also after listening to the message of the truth, just the way able heard God, the message of truth, The gospel of your salvation. Having also believed it, You were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of Promise. So this is what it’s saying that God gives us the gospel. We hear the gospel, we believe the gospel were sealed. Some people don’t believe and they are not, they do not receive forgiveness. They do not have salvation. It’s by Grace through faith. It says in Chapter two of the same book, Ephesians two, and it starts out And it says that even when we were dead in verse five, in our transgressions, he made us alive together with Christ by Grace was saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in christ in the ages to come. He might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in christ for by Grace we have been saved and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, not as a result of works that no one should boast. Now, this is so very important. It is the only way of there’s no other way, jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except by me. And this is what we’re talking about here as we go back and realize that this is an important principle in the beginning of the all stars of this biography of faith and that is able and then you have the walk of Faith, you have bought in and by the way, that’s a that principle is going to remain there for all the other ones. It says by by faith, Enoch, when he was taken up, so that he could see he would not see death and he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before he was being taken up, he was pleasing to God and this this has made so clear without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a reward of those who seek him. Now, you can’t please God. If you don’t come Abel’s way, if you don’t come in X Way, you can’t please God. If you try to do it Kane’s way by your strength, By your good works. By your Why do we need jesus christ Galatians, Chapter two the Apostle Paul said If righteousness verse 21 was obtained by the works of the law, then christ died needlessly. If there was another way for us to be forgiven? If there was another way for us to be free from our sins, why would God send jesus christ into the world to go to the cross, shed his blood and then rise from the dead. So we can be offered eternal life as a free gift. No, it’s the only way. And so when you when you go now to the second illustration, the walk of faith, he walked for 300 years, they lived before the flood. He was walking with God. He pleased God. You know why? Because he too believed like able in the sacrifice of the land that would he would not have please got any other way. So he came to God, he had relationship with God just like Abel did just like Adam did because God had to slay the animals and clothed Adam because of his sin. Adam and eve both. And here we have another illustration of how it gives us that he pleased God. Well, there’s a prerequisite that you can’t please God. You can’t come to God if you don’t come God’s way. And that’s what it’s talking about here. He pleased God. And God took him and the bible says uh concerning Noah by faith. Noah being warned from uh from the judgment that was coming the flood was coming and he built an ark for the salvation of his household by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith, every one of these that are talking about faith is because that God before the bible had been written, God had already told them the way of faith. He personally with a divine revelation gave them the way of faith was through the sacrifice of a lamb, which pointed to the sacrifice of his son jesus christ. And that’s why you see all of these men in scripture performing sacrifices. Because God had already spoken to them concerning this, the work of faith. So because he was in a relationship with God and God had already warned him about the future. He built an ark took a long time, but the flood came and Abra and uh noah with his Children, uh got into the ark and was saved. And then there’s the willingness of faith. I want to come here because Abraham is such an incredible picture. Here’s a guy who’s a heathen who’s living in earth, the Kalderans. He’s basically out of relationship with God. And yet God is calling him to come into a covenant relationship with God. And the bible says by faith verse eight, Abraham when he was called obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going, he didn’t know where he was going. It was by faith not knowing where he was going by faith. He lived as an alien in the land of promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob fellow heirs of the same promise for he was looking for a city which has a foundation whose architect and builder is God by faith. Even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life. Since she considered him faithful. Who had promised therefore there was born even of one man and him as good as dead. Why? Because he was 100 years old. When this happened now, God gave him the promise in Genesis 12. He was 75 But it took 25 years before the promise was fulfilled and it says here in scripture that he was as good as dead, as many descendants came from him as the stars of the Heaven in number and innumerable as the sandwiches by the Seashore. He continued in his faith by faith. Abraham when he was tested just because you have a relationship with God. You’ve been given a promise from God and it didn’t happen for 25 years. And then when it comes true, God is still going to test your faith to see if you really love him, if you’re really gonna follow him and to see where you stay in a relationship to God. God told him to offer up Isaac verse 17 and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son it was he to whom it was said in Isaac your descendants shall be called. He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead from which he also received him back as a type that is a type of christ because christ died was buried in Rosie. And probably the best illustration in the old testament of God offering up his own son. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life because God did not send his son in the world to condemn the world. It’s not the point but to save the world. And Abraham is a beautiful living picture of what God did when he sent jesus from heaven to come and be born in this world. And so it says that by faith he uh even regarding Isaac by faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and he saw and then it goes on and on and on. I want to just end with Abraham’s faith. I want to go to the book of Romans and Chapter four where it talks about this in detail, it gives us 11 times that God uses this word Louisa again. What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh is found for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about but not before God For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now this is quoting genesis 15 and verse six, that Abraham believed what God said to him, that God is gonna send a Christ a messiah through his seed. Abraham believed that. And so the bible says it was reckoned to him. Now you’ll notice it says that again. In in verse four, reckoned. It also says it in verse five, in verse six, it refers to David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from the works. And he says, blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins Have been covered Psalm 32 2. So you have here, Abraham believed what God said, and God put into Abraham’s credit righteousness. David sinned and had such gross and immoral sin and murder and adultery. God took his sin out of his credit out of his account. And these are the two illustrations that God gives us concerning faith with these great superstars of our faith, that is for sinners. It’s not for people who are perfect. It’s not for people who think themselves to be perfect. No, it’s for people who are not perfect who are broken, who are immoral, who were adulterers who are murderers, who are liars like Abraham like David God God will credit righteousness into your account in my account and pull out unrighteous Nous and wickedness out of our account. It goes on like that 11 times, And it goes down to verse 22, it says this in verse 22. Therefore, also it was reckoned or credited to him as righteousness. Now, verse 23, now, not for his sake only was it written that it was reckoned to him, but for our sakes also to whom it will be reckoned as? Those who believe in him who raised jesus, our Lord from the dead. He who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. Now think about this. He takes abraham Way back 30, almost uh 4000 years ago, almost 4000 years ago. It takes David, almost 3000 years ago, 1000 years later. These men who are illustrating to us how God puts in our our account spiritually his righteousness, and how he takes out of our spiritual credit or account our sinfulness and wickedness. How is it? How does he do that? It wasn’t just for them only. It says it was for us also, who it will be credited in our account. Who believe that jesus died for our sins, that he was buried and a rose again from the dead. Will you believe it? Will you confess it with your mouth? Will you come to God his way the only way to just humble ourselves before God and say God be merciful to me a sinner. I confess with my mouth that I’m a sinner. I believe in my heart, that God raised jesus christ from the dead for me to justify me to make me acceptable and jesus, please come into my heart and save me and forgive me and change me and teach me your word and let your love shine through me. I pray in jesus name.